I haven’t really ever done a blog before but thought I would give it a go as my current series 2 106 Rallye in Bianca white with only 34,000 miles on it might be of interest and probably deserves a little effort from me.

Firstly a little about me.

I have been floating around on here for a good few years but prior to that my interest in all thing’s Peugeot started when I was a apprentice technician in the early 1990’s. Working for a Peugeot main dealership I found myself being lucky enough to work on and drive what were then new 205 GTi’s, 309 GTi’s, Mi16’s and 106 Rallye’s. It truly was a great time to be around the Peugeot brand!

Having left Peugeot in the late 90’s to work (read play) with Italian sports cars I found myself drawn to having a hot hatch of one type or another as part of the fleet. I have also owned various motorbikes over the years, the last one being a Suzuki GSXR 1000K4 which was a weapon of a thing that I can honestly say has no place on our crowded roads.

Fast forward to 2009 and the decision to finally hang up my leathers, the GSXR was sold which left a toy shaped hole in the garage. I bought a 2009 FN2 Honda Civic Type R for Mrs Chatie1975 and although it’s a very capable / quick car it was too nice, too new and too valuable to throw around the lanes of Dorset, do the odd track day or hill climb in.

A plan was hatched to have a 3rd car to use for such duties. After considering various options I decided to revisit my roots, I came close to buying a 205 GTi but they all seemed to be over priced or mechanically very tired. A 106 Rallye seemed to be a better bet, a much newer car with parts that’s seemed to be cheaper and readily available. The S2 Rallye was also one of the last sporting Peugeot’s that I had driven back in the day, so the search was on:

My first Rallye:

It took me until November 2010 to find my first Rallye, an Indigo Blue S2 with circa 60K miles on it. A local Dorset car supplied new by George Hartwell’s of Bournemouth. It had been owned by one family from new, had a fantastic service history and even had the original bill of sale. It was a little scruffy around the edges but that made it even better suited to my needs. With a few subtle mod’s including 2” Pugsport, Group N engine mounts, upgraded gear linkages and new steels with a set of AO48’s made it fit for purpose and for a couple of years was driven as the French intended.

Having taken part in the hill climb school at Gurston Down things were just starting to get interesting, however life had a different idea and plans changed again! The Indigo Rallye was sold to help fund a house purchase. In the end this proved not to be necessary, so in 2014 the search was on for a replacement:

Fast forward to October 2015 and my search was over. Having spent a year looking for a replacement Rallye that could be used in a similar manner to before I ended up with something completely different!
Advertised on Car and Classic was a 33,000 mile from new, Bianca White S2 106 Rallye, with the factory options of power steering and airbag. Other than the 15” 206 GTi alloy wheels and colour coded mirror caps it looked completely standard. I spotted the advert pretty much as soon as it went live and having started an email conversation with the seller (Tim), I requested the usual extra pictures. From these I knew it was pretty special, I jumped in the car and headed up to Bridgewater asap.
When I arrived the car was parked outside the house, a quick look around before ringing the doorbell confirmed it was everything I thought it was going to be. A more detailed look with Tim revealed a boot floor that looked brand new (it even has the original paper label under the mat), an interior that had none of the usual wear, shiny paintwork and a decent history file. A drive up the road confirmed mechanically all was as it should be and that I needed to buy this car!
In my eyes there were still some area’s that could be improved on so negotiations commenced, a deal was done and I collected the car on the 1st November 2015. Here is how it looked when I collected it:

In the advert the car was on a personal plate but when I arrived the plate had been removed and it was back on its original. It was a NPR / Dorset registration (the same as my previous Rallye), I thought for a minute it may have been a car that was supplied by the Dorset Peugeot main dealer I used to work for. In the end it wasn’t, it turned out to have been supplied new by Baker’s of Gillingham (North Dorset) in March 1998.
The first owner only had the car for a year and according to Tim it was this owner that removed the signature Rallye steel wheels and fitted some hideous 15” alloys (his words not mine), and colour coded the mirror caps.
The 2nd owner was a lady and owned the car from May 1999 to March 2013. During this period the car was obviously used very lightly with Mot and service history from her local garage to back up the low mileage. I guess it was either a 2nd or 3rd car in the family.
Tim the 3rd owner came across the car in early 2013 when the above lady was looking for a new car and stepped into the car dealership he worked for. Being a Peugeot enthusiast himself having had a 205 GTi back in the day, he could see the potential of the little 106 and a private deal for the car was done.

The plan:

Due to the low mileage / excellent condition and hence rarity of this car it won’t be used as my previous Rallye. My plan is to slowly improve the car bringing it back to an even higher standard, maybe add a few upgrades to make it more enjoyable to use and use it lightly for events and special occasions without adding to many miles!!
Having owned the car for a year a fair bit has changed and it’s been used for several events. I will try and detail these over the next few weeks in an attempt to get this blog up to date!

As with all the cars I have ever bought the first job was to give the Rallye a good service and cambelt change, I always think it’s the best way to get to know a car and gives the opportunity to make a list of jobs to do in the future – be they mechanical or cosmetic.
The service involved engine oil and filter, gearbox oil, coolant, spark plugs, air filter and fuel filter. I also stripped the brakes checking and cleaning the pads / discs, making sure the caliper sliders were free and carrying out a brake fluid change.
The cambelt looked pretty new having been replaced only a couple of years ago by the previous owner, however just so I knew it was done I changed it anyway as well as the alternator belt and cambelt tensioner bearing.
The first real repair was a new driver’s side door lock. The door wouldn’t always latch onto it’s second catch especially when shut from the inside, although this seemed to be improved if you opened the window first. The lock itself was at fault, so a new one was sourced from Peugeot and fitted.

Sorry, not the best picture but this is the lock / catch that needed changing.

December 2015 - Steel Wheels:

Next up was the biggest change to how the car looked when I bought it. Although I don’t dislike the 5 spoke 206 GTi style wheel, driving the car on these 15” wheels just felt odd and very un-Rallye like. The car had a tendency to tramline with the surface of the road and it defiantly didn’t feel as spritely under acceleration as it should.
Decision made, a set of 14” S2 Rallye steels were needed. I looked around for a used set but nothing came up. So I priced up a new set with Peugeot and as I was buying trade decided this was the best option.
In the end it didn’t go as smoothly as I had hoped. Having ordered 4 new steel wheels, 4 new centre caps and 16 new wheel bolts everything turned up from Peugeot the following day, with the exception of 1 steel wheel which went on factory back order. After waiting several weeks for the missing wheel, and listening to the Peugeot promised delivery date getting further and further away, I canceled the order and ordered 1 wheel from 106parts.com. With the 106 Rallye Register discount and free delivery it worked out not much more than I had paid for the other 3.DSC01622 by Martin Chatfield, on FlickrDSC01629 by Martin Chatfield, on FlickrDSC01627 by Martin Chatfield, on Flickr
Overall I was happy with the paint finish, although as you would expect the back of the wheel isn't painted white. Also on the face of each wheel by the bolt holes was a funny paint reaction, ok for the time being but I can see me having to paint them in the future.DSC01623 by Martin Chatfield, on Flickr

December 2015: – Tyre Choice

Having had Yokohama AO48’s on my previous Rallye I knew I needed something more road only biased for this car. The AO48’s are a great tyre but wouldn’t really suit the OE look of the new car. Having looked at options from Michelin and Pirelli I settled for Continental – Premium Contact 2’s in 185/55/14. It really was quite tricky finding a premium brand tyre in an appropriate size.DSC03207 by Martin Chatfield, on FlickrDSC03210 by Martin Chatfield, on FlickrDSC03197 by Martin Chatfield, on FlickrDSC03226 by Martin Chatfield, on Flickr

With the mind set that any modification needs to be easily removed the first job was a 2” Pugsport sourced from 106parts.com. Having had a Pugsport on my previous Rallye I knew what to expect and I knew I needed another one!
Although the Pugsport can be abit boomy at motorway speeds they sound fantastic out on the local ‘B’ roads and defiantly allow the engine to rev cleaner.DSC03230 by Martin Chatfield, on Flickr

Lionheart - your 100% right, this is the challenge with this car. I can't really use it as the French intended due to the condition and mileage, but it's such a lovely thing to have sat in garage and take out on a sunny Sunday and use for special events!

I will get this blog upto date as there is currently work in progress to make it even better ( or more of a garage queen, depending how you look at it).

Next up was a quick day trip to Prescott, this time for the annual PSCUK show – Pugfest. A drive up in convey with my mate Dale in his 205 GT with our respected other halves. Having been to this event several times before I knew what to expect, an assortment of Peugeot’s, some fun on the hill and a chance to chill out without the kids!DSC_2713 by Martin Chatfield, on FlickrDSC_2704 (1) by Martin Chatfield, on FlickrDSC_2718 by Martin Chatfield, on Flickr

Having attended a fair few events in the Rallye during 2016 and added 1000 or so miles (odometer now showing 34839 miles), I now have a better understanding of what this car is about.

My previous Indigo Blue Rallye was used as the French intended, thrown around the Dorset B-roads, taken to Gurston Down, Prescott and modified to suit. This however was fine as it had a higher mileage, was scruffier around the edges and I had had the usual 106 boot floor / rear arch repairs.

The current low mileage Bianca white car really is a different animal and it’s safe to say has been treated this year in an entirely different way. Yes I have used it for shows and events, but mainly as something fun to drive on a sunny weekend when time has allowed.
Low mileage cars are always a double edged sword - Lovely to own, cherish, roll out on a sunny Sunday and have tucked up in the garage as an investment. However you are always aware that part of their value is due to the low mileage so you end up just not using them enough!

Having got married earlier in the year and as the winter approached I found myself questioning if I should offer the car for sale?

I started a thread to see what everyone thought and what the car might be worth on the open market. I was pleasantly surprised with regards to values, prices definitely seem to be on the up driven by the buoyant modern classic car market. Most people thought I would be crazy to sell as I would never find another like it.

Having given it a lot of thought and after Mrs Chatie1975 told me to stop being so stupid, the decision was made, R167 NPR was staying and would be improved still further!!

The Winter 2016 / 2017 project:

So how to improve a 106 Rallye with low mileage in very good condition?
The main thing in my eyes that let’s the car down is the condition of the engine bay, with Peugeot’s sparse paint application from new and a lack of cleaning / treating over the last 18 years being the cause.

Very lower edge of front bumper has some strange scratches / marks, i may get away with just painting the lower part of the bumper only or may end up painting the whole thing.

I am also going to have a look a the front end panel fit, the door / wing gap isn't quite right on the N/S and the bonnet alignment could be better. There is no signs of any previous accident repairs so this is more than likely how it came out of the factory, however I am sure I can improve it.

The driver's door mirror will also need replacing as it's cracked, this will mean a good used mirror as the driver's side is no longer available from Peugeot. I will also change the colour coded mirror caps for the correct standard black plastic ones.

So having made the decision to restore / paint the engine bay the first task was to compile a list of essential jobs to do whilst the engine and gearbox was out. I like a good list and I always find it a therapeutic starting point, however as we all know being an 18 year old Peugeot it will inevitably grow!

Next up was to decide where to carry out the work. Although I have a garage at home it’s only a single garage. The better option was to use the facilities at work, it would be much easier to strip the car on a ramp and then once a rolling shell it only be a few miles from the bodyshop.

Cris - yep pretty happy with it, and hopefully this round of work will improve it further.

Dave - I did the cambelt and tensioner when i purchased the car 1000 miles ago. I did think about doing the head gasket whilst the engine is out but I decided to stay focused on the jobs that can only be done with the engine or gearbox removed.
I have been keeping an eye on that one for sale at Holybrook's, its actually Reynold's old car off here (they bought it off him).

With everything out of the way I could have a good poke at the corrosion, it was pretty much as I expected with the only welding repair that will be required on the N/S chassis leg above the bumper bracket spot weld. I will fit 2 new bumper brackets and repair the chassis leg. Everything else is just surface corrosion that can be dealt with by the bodyshop / welder.

Next up was the interior. I needed to remove the front seats to send to the trimmer so he could repair the O/S outer seat bolster. Although the fabric was still in great condition I could feel the foam had started to sag and loose it's shape. I will let the trimmer decide the best way forward but current thoughts are to repair what we have but maybe swap the really good foams from the N/S seat and use them on the O/S, the theory being that the N/S seat will get less use in the future.

The carpet is also in really good condition but could do with a proper clean, due to how Peugeot manufactured the carpet it can't be removed from the car with the dashboard in place (unless you cut the carpet at the front of the tunnel which I didn't want to do). As I also wanted to check the heater matrix so I removed the complete dashboard.

Lastly was to strip the bulkhead completely, this involved removing the steering rack and pedal box (now much easier with the dashboard removed). At the request of the bodyshop the steering rack was refitted after removal of the pedal box to allow for easier movement of the car.

The 4 letters on the N/S strut top being the colour code (POWP - Bianca White). But does anyone have an idea of what the number 774998 relates to, build number maybe? I have taken detailed photo's of both and traced there outline in case I want to add them back once the paintwork has been carried out.

Updated Feb 2018- I have since found out that the 6 digit number on the strut top is the Peugeot DAM number (or build number). From it you can work out where (which Peugeot factory) and the exact date it was built. An interesting link below showing more details - http://www.liontamer.net/forums/inde...pic,121.0.html

The build number would be the last digits of the chassis number surely. Does it match that?
Possible an order number/job number to state car spec, options, dealer etc?

That fiat is beautiful.

That's what I would of thought but it doesn't match any part of the chassis number or engine number. I am thinking either body number (not sure if Peugeot used these) or as you suggest some sort of job / build number or car spec maybe?

The Abarth is lovely, we were involved in a 2 year bare shell restoration a couple of years ago and took 2 full doner cars (for hard to get parts) to get it to this level. It's just been for a photo shoot and will feature in Modern Classic Magazine shortly.

Although I am more than capable of carrying out the cleaning up, welding and paintwork myself in order to keep the project moving at speed I decided to farm this out to one of the bodyshop's I use through work. This would also free me up to carry on with the other work I wanted to complete whilst the engine was removed.

First job was to organise some transport for the rolling shell, slight overkill for the little Rallye!

Once at the bodyshop the real work began, all corroded areas were stripped back and assessed. The only welding required was a small repair on the N/S inner wing above the bumper bracket, the bracket had to be removed to carry out the repair so 2 new bumper brackets were fitted. Once stripped all the bare metal was treated with a corrosion inhibitor and etch primed.

I would have liked to have gone further and removed the suspension struts and cleaned up the underside of the suspension turrets but this would have immobilised the car and I also needed to stay focused on the job in hand, knowing I can come back to this at a later date once the engine and gearbox have been refitted.

As the carpet was removed and knowing how bad the corrosion can get around the front jacking point / chassis strenghtening gusset I decided now was the time to clean up this area and check for any problems. As you can see once the underseal had been removed both sides were in great condition and no welding repairs were required. Again this area was treated with a rust inhibitor and etch primed.

While the rolling shell was off with the bodyshop I pressed on with the other jobs I wanted to complete with the engine and gearbox removed.
First job was to strip down the pedal box, brake servo and linkage so all the black parts could be sent for powder coating. I also remove the rocker cover from the engine, gearbox mount plate from the gearbox and added as many other brackets as possible to the powder coating box.

Next up was to check the heater matrix, I would occasionally get a slight smell of antifreeze when the heater was put on hot for the first time, this could either be a leak from the matrix or slightly leaking hose around the intake / outlet from the heater box.

The matrix was in great condition with no signs of a leak, so my guess was the smell was coming from a small leak on the heater hoses (Peugeot do use sprung tension clips which I will change to traditional jubilee clips on reassembly). I did order a new matrix to fit anyway but unfortunately of the 2 types that Peugeot used mine was the type that was no longer available. Although the new matrix fitted in the heater box it sat to tall so the inlet / outlet pipes wouldn't have been in the right place to go through the bulkhead, I therefore refitted the original matrix to the heater box.

Of all things between the gauge faces and the plastic cover I had a woodlouse!! I stripped down the instrument cluster and removed the unwanted guest, while I was there I gave the inside of the clear plastic cover a good clean.

Another job whilst the engine and gearbox was to replace the clutch. Although it felt ok on the road when I stripped it down I found a fairly corroded clutch, a noisy release bearing and a clutch fork that was very stiff on the nylon bushes in the bell housing, glad I stripped it down in the end!

Last job before the shell came back was to adjust the tappet's. By this time the powder coating was back so I could refit the freshly refinished rocker cover using a new gasket. The finish on the cam cover isn't 100% so will probably get replaced with a new one at a later date.

Those eagle eyed people will notice that the exhaust manifold heatshield is abit scruffy, I would like to try and find a new one but they are no longer available from Peugeot, I will keep an eye on Ebay but may end up removing this one and sending it for Aqua blasting.

Meanwhile back at the bodyshop we had now got to the stage where the prep for paint was moving along. Peugeot's application of seal sealer from factory is best described as a little hap hazard, but with an eye on keeping things looking original we reproduced this style, I had to fight my OCD so it didn't look to neat!!

Next up was some real forward progress, with all the prep and seam sealing complete it was time to get some colour back in the engine bay. i was really happy how it came out but will let the pictures tell the story. Steering rack refitted to make the rolling shell easier to move.

Lovely, I particularly like the replicating of the shoddy original Peugeot work.

Thanks Harv, I really did have to control my OCD and not make it to neat and tidy! It looks like Peugeot used seam sealer in a gun and then just spread the excess with a paintbrush hence the messy appearence

Now the the rolling shell was back from the bodyshop it was full speed ahead to get the Rallye back together. First job was to build back up the pedal box, brake linkage and servo. Everything freshly powder coated except the brake servo which I decided to paint.

New clutch cable and throttle cable fitted before building up the pedal box

With Christmas fast approaching it was getting more difficult to find time to stay on at work and carry on with the Rallye. I initially wanted the car complete and back home before Christmas however as everyone know's a project like this always ends up being more work than initially planned.

Now that I had the pedal box refitted the steering rack could go back in, although I would have liked to have fully refinished it before refitting I had to make do with a thorough clean. New track rod ends fitted at the same time.

Next up I decided to reduce the boxes of parts lying around the workshop and get the interior back together. First up was to refit the underfelt, carpet and heaterbox. The carpet had been given a really good steam clean and shampoo, it really came up well.

The dashboard could then be refitted

The Rallye was enjoying some good company again

Instrument cluster, steering column reconnected and steering wheel refitted. I left the airbag off so that I could check the front wheel alignment and steering wheel straight ahead position.

With the interior mostly back together I turned my attention back to the engine bay, the first few items to go back in included the freshly powder coated chassis leg brace, the wiring loom / fuse box and gear linkage. Everything was given a good clean and where nessacary painted before refitment. There are a few fixtures and fittings I will go back and change at a later date when I have more time.

In the fuse box I seemed to have a spare 2 pin / 30 amp connector that for the life of me I couldn't put my finger on what it was for, then lying in bed that night it clicked - it was for the cooling fans which were still to be fitted!

Next up was the scuttle panel area and wheel arches - Wiper motor and linkage, washer bottle and pipe work, purge valve and canister, wiring loom were all refitted.

Then it was onto the fuel lines, brake lines and refit the rebuilt / repowder coated brake linkage and servo assembly.

I decided to use traditional jubilee clips on the heater hoses, I am not really a fan of the spring type clips that Peugeot use from factory and as I had been suffering from a smell of antifreeze when the heater was first put on I thought it wise.

With the engine bay now complete it was time to reinstall the Rallye's heart. Freshly powder coated gearbox mount fitted. Using a ramp definitely makes like easier!

With fresh engine oil, antifreeze, gearbox oil and PAS fluid she started with the first turn of the key. As it had been a long day / late night I called it a day and packed the workshop for the evening.

With the engine bay / front end back together it was time to finish off the interior. The seats are in really great condition, the rear bench just needing a good clean before refitting.

The front seats were also in great nick with only the driver's seat outer bolster needing some attention. While the engine bay work was underway the front seats were sent to the trimmer I use through work.

With the seat covers and foam no longer available from Peugeot we made the decision to repair the slightly sagging foam on the drivers seat, we then swapped both upper and lower covers complete with foam with those from the passenger seat.

This leaves me with the very original / unworn covers on the drivers seat and the repaired bolster cushions on the inner side of the passenger seat. For the time being this was the best solution until I can find another spotless passenger seat to strip for parts!

Next up I refinished the front jacking points. They were found to be in great condition under the factory underseal so they were given the following treatment - Etch primed, Seam sealed with new blanking grommets, Wurth Stone guard applied with a szhutz gun, High build primer and then finished in Bianca White. I also added some Dinol cavity wax for further protection.

Yep they were very good under the factory finish, definitely worth cleaning up and checking whilst I was there. The original factory seam sealer had just started to crack / split so I feared the worst but was pleasantly suprised.

Harv - I did have to straighten them out slightly with a slide hammer a one side (cant remember which had a slight dent in it.